For our first dialogue, I wanted to speak with you about digital first publishing.

Uh huh. Why?

Well, because you’re, you know, digital.

Insightful and yet obvious.

So digital first publishing is publishing, but it’s digital, FIRST.

Get out! Really?

Yes! So like there’s this publisher, and they contract a writer, and then they publish them DIGITALLY. FIRST. Then they might publish them other ways too, but not first. Later.

No way! Let me see if I’ve got this straight. Digital first publishing is publishing digitally first.

Yes! *beams*

You’re talking about self-publishing.

No! See that’s where people get confused. If you’re working with a publisher, digital first isn’t self-publishing. It’s kind of in-between self-publishing and the fully monty traditional I’m-going-to-be-in-every-book-store-and-the-WalMart-and-Target-and-the-grocery-store publishing. And because they publish you digitally, there are less up front costs. That means the publishers are more willing to take a chance on a new author like me.

But the publisher still edits and comes up with the cover and markets and does all that other publisher stuff?

Yes! In self-publishing the author has do all of that. Because they’re publishing the book themSELVES.

Comments

So, is digital gonna take over? I mean, in ten years will it be the first choice of authors rather than traditional pub houses? And is the theater really dead? Well okay, you don’t have to answer that last one, but I bet Socrates would.

@M R K: HAH – if it makes you feel any better, the only reason I knew ERMAHGERD was because I recently found myself in a Hot Topic with a friend shopping for her teen boys. LOL

I don’t think digital will take over, but new authors (like me) seem to have a better chance getting published digitally first. The publishers don’t have the costs of printing and inventory and such, so they’re a little more willing to take a risk on an unknown person. I think for the most part it just added another market – and that’s great! Hooray for markets! We love markets!